Thomas steeat



(No Model.)

T. STREAT. CIGAR MAKER'S IMPLEMENT. No. 290,811. Patented Deo. 25, 1883.

N, PEIERS, PholoLiihognpher. Waihington. n. c.

Ihvirn STATES PATENT Fries.

THOMAS STREAT, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

ClGAR-MAKERS IMPLEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 290,811, dated December 25, 1883,

Application filed March 13, 1883. (X modeL) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS STREA'I, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cigar-Makers Implements; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

In the manufacture of cigarettes by hand, and more especially of cigarettes having a tobacco wrapper, difliculties are experienced in obtaining asmoothly-rolled cigarette in which the wrapper is free from wrinkles, and acigarette of sufficient density to prevent its mashing or breaking in packing the same. This is due to the fact that the wrapper, whether of paper or of tobacco, is free to yield to any inaccuracy in the operation of rolling or to any irregularity in the pressure applied while the cigarette is being rolled, causing that portion of the wrapper not held by the hands to twist, wrinkle, or pu'cker, which materially detracts from the merchantable value of the cigarette. The imperfect rolling is also frequently due to the unequal distribution of the filler, the quantity thereof being greater in one part of the cigarette than in another, which gives rise to unequal pressure during the operation of rolling and causes the wrapper to wind unevenly and wrinkle. When tobacco is employed for wrapping the filler, the difficulties are still greater. The wrapper, being damp or moist, is more or less elastic and liable to stretch or yield to the slightest inequality of strain. In view of the usually delicate texture of these wrappers, they readily break, rendering them useless and entailing serious losses, as these wrappers are very costly when compared with the filler.

The object of this invention is to remedy these difficulties by providing means whereby one edge of the wrapper is held tightly and smooth while the other edge thereof is turned over the filler and rolled around it, thereby preventing such wrapper from wrinkling.

To this end the invention consists in certain mechanism whereby the desired results are obtained, as fully described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating my improved cigarette-wrapper clamp, showing the latter raised from its support. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, illustrating the clamping-plate down upon and holding one edge of the wrap per; and Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same.

Like letters indicate like parts in the above figures of drawings.

The clamp may be mounted upon any suitable support -as a table, for instance, as shown, upon which table T is glued or otherwise rigidly and smoothly secured a rollingapron, A, which consists, usually, of astrip of strong paper of a width equal to the length of the cigarette, and of sufficient length beyond its attached portion a to permit of the rolling of the wrapper around the filler of the cigarette. A clamping-plate, G, in proximityto the glued portion of the apron A, is so arranged as to close down upon the latter and hold the edge of the cigarette-wrapper IV, as shown in Fig. 2. Various means may be employed for depressing the plate 0, holding it down when depressed, and raising it again after the cigarette is rolled-as, for instance, a lever hinged upon the table, to which lever the plate may be attached or not. Such lever may be held down with or upon the plate by means of a latch or other suitable locking device, and instead of the plate a clamping-bar or a roller may be employed. I In the manufacture of ci-* garettes it is, however, of great importance that the work should be done expeditiously, and it is therefore necessary that the operator should have the use of his hands exclusively for the manipulation of the material for and the manufacturing of the cigarettes, to which end means should be provided whereby the clamping and releasing of the wrapper may be effeeted without the use of the operators hands and also without undue exertion on his part. To these ends the plate 0 is pivoted upon the table, said clamping -plate being simply a strip of tin or suitable sheet metal, though wood or any other sufficiently rigid material may be employed. The plate 0 has an extension, a, bent at such an angle to the plate as to limit its upward movement, the plate being pivoted upon a pin, I, at the intersecting line of the extension with said plate. The hold of the latter upon the wrapper WV may be increased by applying thereto a strip of rubber. A small ring, staple, or hook, H, is riveted or soldered to the center of plate 0, and to this is attached one end of a cord, B, the other end of which is attached to a treadle, T, so that the plate may be depressed and held down upon the rolling-apron A and one edge of the wrapper by the foot of the operator. In order to automatically raise the plate when the wrapper is to be released, I employ one or more coiled springs, S, preferably fitted with in suitable recesses, R, formed in the table-top f, the free end of which bears against the under side of the plate 0. W'hen the springs are fitted within recesses, as described,-they are securely held against displacement and need no other fastening, and they may be located at any convenient point to act upon the plate, the downward movement of which compresses them within the recess, so as to form no impediment that would prevent the plate from coming in contact with the table or the apron A.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is-- 1. In a cigar-makers implement, a clamp, a rolling-apron, a stationary support or table, upon which said clamp and apron, together with the wrapper and filler, are supported, and to which one edge of the apron is secured, the opposite edge lying free thereon, and means for depressing the clamp and holding the same in contact with the fixed edge of said apron, when said elements are combined for co-operation, as described, for the purpose specified.

2. In a cigar-makers implement, a clamp, a rolling-apron, A, a flat support or table for said clamp and apron, means for depressing the clamp upon one end of the apron and holding it in contact therewith while the cigarette is being rolled in the free end of said apron A, and means for automatically raising the clamp out of contact with the apron, said parts being combined and constructed for cooperation, substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

3. The combination of the table T, rollingapron A, pivoted clamp O, and treadle T, all constructed to operate substantially as and for the purposes shown and described.

4. The combination of the table T, rollingapron A, pivoted clamp O, springs S, and treadle T, all constructed to operate substantially as shown, and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS STREAT.

lVitnesses:

H. L. HARWOOD, IV. H. PERKINS, Jr. 

